Letter or bill file.



PATENTED DEC. 22, 1903.

W.. O. GOTTWALS.

LETTER OR BILL FILE.

APPLICATION TILED FEB. 10. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

amewfoz a No: up 1,

. example of such a file and an efficient mech,

UNITED STATES Patented December 22, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

LETTER OR BILL FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,416, dated December22, 1903. Application filed February 10, 1903. Se i l N9. 142.781. (Nomodel.)

or wires composed of separable members.

One member of each arch is movable to allow the impaling or removal ofthe papers. In the most approved type of such files two arches areprovided, the movable members of which are pivotally mounted andconnected by suitable mechanism to move together both in opening andclosing the arches. An

anism of the kind referred to is found in my Patent No. 554,261, datedFebruary 11,.

tively, for the pivotal support of the mov-v able arch members and tocontain their connecting mechanism; and .it consists in the parts andcombinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In order to make my invention more clearly understood, I have shown inthe accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practicaleffect without limiting my im-.

provements in their useful applications to the particular construction,which for the sake of illustration I have delineated.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an archfile embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the sameapplied to a file-board in line II, Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a sectional viewon line III, Fig. 4, showing the box alone. Fig. 4 is a rear view of thearch base and casing, the rear member of the casing or box beingremoved. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the rear member of the casing.Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the key.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the stationary arch members orimpaling-pins,

and 2 the pivoted and movable arch members or transfer-wires on whichthe papers may be thrown back from the pins 1 when the arches areclosed.

A is the front member of the combined base-plate and box A, made ofsheet metal,

preferably out into the form of a suitableblank and stamped or pressedby dies into the shape shown. The part A is adapted to be secured to thefile-board 3, as by screws through the apertures '4, and comprises afront plate 5, casing sides 6 and 7, casing-top 8, and suspending-plate9. The pins 1 are at their bases riveted within stamped-up bosses 10 ofthe plate 5. From the bases of these pins and across the lines ofbending strain of the plate'5 to the side 6 extend stamped-up ridges ll.

12 indicates bearing-apertures in the top 8, in which are pivotallymounted the arch members 2, so that they may be separated from orengaged with the pins 1 by turning in said apertures.

The connecting mechanism comprises oppositely-extending crank arms 13,fixed on the members 2, and a connecting-rod 14, pivoted to the cranksat 15.

16 is a spring bearing against the casing side 6 and acting on the rod14, through a pin or bar 17, in 'a known manner and substantially as setforth in my said patent, to hold the arch members 2 ineither theirclosed or open position. The basesof the members 2 and the parts13,14,16, and 17 are situated within the box A. The rear member A ofsaid box or casing consists of sheet metal cut and stamped to the shapeshown in Fig. 5 and having a casing back or bottom portion 18, which isbetween the parts 5 and 9, and having casing ends 19. The said ends 19are formed with tongues 20, which engage the top 8 by apertures 21 inthe latter when the member A is fitted neatly between the sides 6 and 7.The back 18 is formed with bearing-apertures 22 in line with thebearings 12 and adapted to fit over the ends of the arch members 2 whenthe parts are assembled and keep said arch members in proper alinement.

For certainty in engaging the apertures 22, the plate A being of thinmetal, the lower ends of the wires 2 are made of a length to pass fullythrough the plate, and to avoid boring the board 3 to accommodate theends of these wires the ends 19 are of such length as to bring the back18 above the plane of the plates 5 and 9, as seen in Fig. 2.

B is a transverse key, preferably in the form of a spring having a bend23 and end flange 24. This key is adapted to pass through slots 25 and26 at the bottoms of the sides 7 and 6, with its end flange engaging oneof said sides. When in such position, its convexity or bend 23 isarranged to oppose the back 18 and hold the casing members A and Atogether with a strong pressure. This construction efiects a markedeconomy in the manufacture of the file, allowing the archsupporting andmechanism-containing casing and base-plate to be very simply and cheaplymade and readily assembled, so that all parts will come into properpositions and relations with the minimum of fitting and adjustment. Theparts can be more readily and cheaply assembled than if screws or solderwere employed to unite the casing parts and also gives convenient accessto the interior of the casing for readjustment or repair of themechanism.

What I claim is 1. In a file having paper-holding members or wires, thecombination, with such wires, of a base-plate and casing having separatemembers, both acting to support said wires at different points, and atransverse key separably uniting the casing members, substantially asset forth.

2. In a file having pivoted and movable paper-holding members or wires,the combination, with such wires, of a base-plate and casing havingseparate members, a transverse key separably uniting the casing members,and connecting mechanism uniting said wires and situated in said casing,substantially as set forth.

3. In a file the combination of paper-holding wires, a base-plate andcasing supporting said wires and having separate members, and atransverse key separably uniting the casing members, substantially asset forth.

4. In a file the combination of paper-holding wires, a base-plate andcasing supporting said wires and consisting of separate members, thefront member of the plate being shaped to constitute the plate 5, thecasing sides 6 and 7, and the top 8, and the rear member being shaped toconstitute the back 18 and the casing ends 19, means for uniting saidplate members, said connecting mechanism for said wires situated in saidcasing, substantially as set forth.

5. A base-plate and casing for arch files consisting of a front plate ofsheet metal bent to form the base-plate proper and the sides andelevated top of the casing, and a rear plate bent to form the back andends of said casing, and means for uniting said front and rear plates,substantially as set forth.

6. A base-plate and casing for arch files adapted to support thepaper-holding wires and to contain their connecting mechanism, the sameconsisting of two opposing plates shaped to form a hollow box, and aspring- I key separably uniting said plates, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of the paper-holding wires, the front plate A, theopposing rear plate A and the transverse spring-key engaging one of saidplates by its ends and having the bend 23 engaging the other of saidplates, substantially as set forth.

8. A base-plate and casing for arch files consisting of a front of sheetmetal bent to form the base-plate proper and the sides and elevated topof the casing, a rear plate forming the back of the said casing, one ofsaid plates being cut and bent to form casing ends, separate from saidsides, means for uniting said front and rear plates, and paperreceivingwires movably mounted on said casing, substantially as set forth.

9. In an arch file the combination of the plate A bent to form the plate5 and the elevated top 8, the plate A bent to form the back 18 and theends 19, the said back being arranged above the plane of the plate 5,the wires fixed on the plate 5 and the movable wires pivoted in the top8 and passing through the back 18, substantially as set forth.

10. In a file having movable paper-holding members or wires, thecombination, with such wires and as a support for the same, of abaseplate and casing having separate members, and a key arrangedparallel with said plate and across and beneath one of said separatemembers and separately uniting the casing members, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM O. GOTT WALS.

Witnesses:

H. N. Low, M. F. CRENSHAW.

